Four days after International Women’s Day, a day where we celebrate the achievements of women and raise awareness about discrimination, I find myself sitting in the auditorium of Nottingham’s Theatre Royal awaiting the production of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World to come bouncing onto the stage. This 2021 production from the Producers of SIX is similar in style and execution to its predecessor, where six Queens took the world by storm, as we take a jaunt through history and meet some inspiring women who defied the patriarchy and achieved amazing things in the fields of art, science, literature, sports, to name but a few. With an earlier start time of 7pm, and a 90 minute run time, this exploration of female empowerment is absolutely ideal for a teen and pre-teen audience.
Our protagonist, Jade (Georgia Grant-Anderson), is on a school museum visit when she gets left behind. Feeling as if no one cares and she doesn’t matter, Jade finds herself in an out of bounds area where historical females come to life in order to tell their stories and support Jade in finding her potential. The concept is heartwarming and I’m sure fulfils the hopes of Kate Pankhurst, descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst, on whose book the musical is based.
As expected from the producers of SIX, the set by Joanna Scotcher is bright, light and colourful with neon directional lights representing the many, many pathways that young Jade could take. I’m always a fan of a visible orchestra as it enables us to marvel at the talent of those who literally bring the music to life. As a three-piece, Aurora Cramer, Isis Dunthorne and Bronwen Chan really do bring the energy, and it was great to see Bronwen Chan take centre stage among our inspirational women.
Playing multi-roles, Elena Bresch, Jennifer Caldwell, Chloe Hart and Leah Vassell are all skilled in the nuance of presenting different characters. Take Chloe Hart, for example. When we first see her, she is Gertrude Ederle, the Queen of the Waves, an American swimmer who was the first to swim the English Channel, but when we later meet her, she is the prim and proper English rose, Jane Austen. At no point do the characters merge, such is the actresses’ proficiency, which is inspirational in its own right. Elena Breschi’s presentation of Frida Kahlo is absolutely memorable and the joyful song “World of Colour” is definitely a crowd favourite. One of the highlights for me is a poignant moment towards the end of the show where Jade meets Rosa Parks (Leah Vassell) and Anne Frank (Millie Kiss). The song “Rosa’s lullaby” is just beautiful, and there was a lovely moment where a young girl in front of me snuggled up to her mum as Vassell’s silky tones reverberate around the auditorium. I must admit to having a little tear as we’re told “a better world for everyone begins with better dreams”. Of course, this show would not be complete without the story of Emmeline Pankhurst (Jennifer Caldwell). She arrives on stage in a purple, glittering army uniform, perfectly representing her fight for women’s votes. It wasn’t easy, she tells the listening Jade, but it was worth the fight. “Deeds Not Words” which is arguably one of the songs which is most similar to the style of SIX songs, complete with energetic rap, is also another highlight and sends a strong message.
At the beginning of the show, Jade has been beaten down…by life. By the end, she is ready to face life’s challenges. Grant-Anderson is an incredibly likeable actress with a smile that lights up the stage, energy in every movement and a cracking set of pipes as she belts out “I’m Here”. You can just tell that she is having the time of her life surrounded by a strong female cast. It is when the group come together as an ensemble that the stage really starts to rock – and let’s face it, this show is described as a “kickass-pirational pop musical. The choreography by Dannielle “Rhimes” Lecointe is at it’s strongest when all the women are on stage; I find it so powerful when the choreography moves from individual to group movement…and this is what this show is about – women’s movement to the forefront, to Nobel Prizes, to the discovery of dinosaurs, or to a hidden diary that changed the world.
As a production, I wouldn’t say that it is “fantastically great” as there are times when it falls a little flat and you find your mind drifting, however, the message is so powerful. Take your daughters to see this show. Take your nieces. Take your granddaughter. At some point, they will all feel like Jade, but they need to know that there is a legacy of women to catch them if they fall.
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is playing at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal until Saturday 16 March. And remember, “well behaved women rarely make history”.
